Police Department

POLICE OFFICER ENTRY LEVEL TRAINING

As a fully sworn law enforcement agency, the UConn Police Department ensures that all of its personnel receive the training they need to enhance their delivery of service to the community and provide for their safety as well as yours.

After our extensive pre-employment and background investigation process, newly hired officers are sent to one of the regional basic police academies. Recruit level basic training academies include extensive training areas held over a six month period. Areas of instruction include police ethics, constitutional and state laws, the legal system, arrest and control techniques, driver training, emergency medical response, interpersonal relations, suicide intervention, substance abuse issues, victim and witness advocacy, principals of criminal investigation, anti-terrorism training, sexual and domestic violence investigative procedures, patrol procedures and many more topic areas. All police academies in the State of Connecticut require constant evaluation and training of probationary officers during this rigorous course of instruction and are governed by the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council.

After graduation from the academy, all of our officers are placed in the Field Training Program. This period partners a rookie officer with seasoned veteran officers over a period of at least four months. New officers are instructed in the nuances of serving our community, UConn Police and university-wide policies and procedures, and regional services. Officers are scrutinized and evaluated daily during the FTO program to ensure that the UConn Police Department is staffed by the best officers possible.

Sometimes, the UCPD hires officers that are currently certified through other police agencies both inside of Connecticut or other states. Each ‘lateral officer’ undergoes the required pre-employment scrutiny before being placed into the Field Training Program.

ADVANCED AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

Officers of the UConn Police Department undergo extensive advanced and ongoing education throughout their careers. Officers are sent to a variety of courses in advanced areas of investigative and tactical techniques, crisis intervention training, lethality and threat assessment, advanced sexual and domestic violence investigations, computer crimes investigations, advanced crime scene processing, and many more. Many officers become certified instructors in these areas as well and represent a valuable resource for police officers and communities across the state and region.

All of our officers across the department participate in annual and periodic trainings on weapon system qualifications, active threat training, fire prevention and response, radiological safety, and many more areas.

UCPD TRAINING UNIT

Staff assigned to our training unit endeavor to seek and provide the highest level of cutting-edge, professional training courses for our officers. If you have questions about the entry level training received by our officers, please be sure to visit our “Ask A Recruiter” page for more information.

For inquiries via law enforcement agencies, please contact our main number at 860.486.4800 and ask for our Training Unit.

The members of the UConn Police Department understand that safety and crime prevention are community-wide endeavors and that any law enforcement agency is most successful when personally involved with the communities they serve. Each one of our officers believes in the tenets of community-oriented policing. We know that we are all at our best when we work alongside those we serve and that only together can we make UConn a safe, enjoyable place to pursue our academic, professional, and personal goals. Community policing is the philosophy the UConn Police department embraces at its core.

The UCPD has a dedicated Community Outreach Unit that serves to provide educational programming for the public and work with members of our community to identify safety issues, collaborate to ensure a peaceful culture at UConn, and reduce crime around campus. The Community Outreach Unit also hosts our Safety Techniques and Awareness Resource Team (S.T.A.R.T.) for programming surrounding primary and secondary prevention measures combating sexual and domestic violence.

For more information on the educational programming opportunities hosted by the UCPD, please visit the Education and Programs sections of our website.

WHAT IS CALEA?                                     

CALEA stands for Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Established in 1979, it is comprised of four major law enforcement executive membership associations. Namely, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

It is a process where state and local law enforcement agencies can demonstrate voluntarily that they comply with national standards, which are an indication of professional excellence.
Because the UCPD thrives on community relations and being person-oriented, it is our goal to provide exemplary service, and our CALEA accreditation assists us in demonstrating our commitment to UConn through the highest level of excellence available in the law enforcement community.

Some of the benefits of accreditation are: nationwide recognition of professional excellence, continued planning and development of the department, proactive management, improved community relations and pride in our organization.

Policing at a University has its own unique standards and requirements of excellence in order to protect students, staff, faculty, and visitors. Adherence to the highest standard of professionalism and excellence are important to us.

The UCPD felt it was imperative that we obtain The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) Accreditation award in 2008 and have been reaccredited every time since then.

IACLEA is an association that advances University Safety for educational institutions by providing educational resources, advocacy, and professional development services.

Today, IACLEA membership represents more than 1,200 colleges and universities located in twenty countries. In addition to colleges and universities, which are Institutional Members, individual memberships are held by campus law enforcement staff members, criminal justice faculty members and municipal chiefs of police.

To learn more, visit the IACLEA at www.iaclea.org or email them at info@iaclea.org.

UCONN POLICE DEPARTMENT ACCREDITATION PUBLIC COMMENT PORTAL

 UConn Police Department Accreditation Public Comment Portal 

The purpose of this portal is to allow for comments and feedback with the performance of the UConn Police Department seeking reaccreditation status with CALEA.

STATE ACCREDITATION

State accreditation is a process through which law enforcement agencies demonstrate excellence in management and service delivery by complying with state accreditation standards.

The State Accreditation Standards for Local Police Agencies Program is run by the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST Council). The members of the Council are a public board appointed by the Governor and include federal, state and local law enforcement managers along with public members.

For more information, visit the POST Council online and click on ‘Accreditation Division.’